Fratricide
by AutumnDawn21
Summary: In the year 1861 a war began that would split a nation in two and pit family against each other. Son fought father; brother battled brother. In the midst of it are two boys, caught up in a war they dont understand, sibling in spirit and enemies in fact AU
1. The World

**The World**

When he was young he used to think the family plantation was the world, that there was no Virginia beyond the whitewashed slat fences, no states beyond its border. From the top of the terracotta tiles lining the red roof of their three-story farmhouse, he could see the land stretch out before him.

Surely this was the apex of the world! There could be nothing beyond this house-that-had-always-been-there; that had stood since the beginning of time. On clear days, that glimpse of blue, so far off the horizon that it could be mistaken for a trick of the light playing merrily off morning dew, could not be a body of water larger than their own Lake Madara.

As a child there was nothing more complex in his simple existence then what to play next. There was nothing to ponder but what treat his mother might bake, made with her own loving hands instead of some bitter slave's. Philosophy was limited to the oft-ignored Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."

He knew no other existence; he believed those within his limited scope were the only beings, that there was no world beyond the horizon, and he had no reason to believe otherwise.

If his father and brother left for weeks, gone to some unknown stead; that did not mean there were others out there like him! Father and brother were strong; they could tear holes across the universe, pull stars down from the sky. Where they rode their horses, the very land lay down cobbles below their iron-shod hooves.

And this was where he lived. Ask him the name of the world and he will reply, "Uchiha Plantation." For until that fateful day when a baby became a boy, it was his universe, sprung into being when he took his first, quavering, infantile breath.

* * *

This is a story sprung into being by the evil machination of the plot bunnies that bounce around in my head. (kicks a bunny) It's not going to be updated regularly, and for the first ten or so chapters it's going to consist of drabble-esque writings. That will last until Naru-chan and Sasu-chan meet. Then it will errupt into a full-fledged fanfic (maybe) that I really dont want to have to deal with. No Yaoi. Probably no pairings. Simple angst, no teenage romance blues. It IS going to be a Civil War AU, though.


	2. The Home

**The Home**

His first memories are of hunger and cold stares, of icy nights and sweltering days. He remembers the mangy curs that prowled around the alleys, competing with the urchins for food and shelter.

He recalls harsh words and heavy hits, cursings and beatings. He can close his eyes and see the silver-haired priest, smirking in unholy glee as he is purged from the market with near lethal force.

He could tell you what happens when you eat bread ripped from a sick dog's mouth, how children who prowl in packs are more deadly than you can ever imagine. He can pick pockets with heinous ease, can shoplift a loaf of bread the length of his arm, can pick the lock on the mayor's door, and has done so often. His first words were curses, his first sentence a plead for mercy. He is small and wiry, with limbs feeble from starvation and skin tanned and weather-beaten from constant exposure to the sun. Despite his malnourished state, he fights like a cornered wildcat, and can deck a boy twice his size. Lack of skill is more than made up for in sheer will to stay alive.

Why, why would one with such a miserable existence wish to live on? Why on earth should one who is shunned from society crave their acceptance, strive to protect their ignorantly cruel souls? It was this that earned him a new set of memories, it was this that served to fascinate a young school teacher, this that wormed its way into an influential old man's heart, that warmed a frigid woman's maternal breast.

It was this that made him Naruto, and this that gave him a home. For he was surrounded by his precious people, and as long as their memories stayed with him, their love watered his withering blooms, he would forever be able to face the harsh world he knew lay beyond their residence.

They were his home, for they were what kept his heart beating.

* * *

If you want me to continue, PLEASE let me know. This will be the last chapter I post for a while. I have eight written, but I will be posting them in pairs until I get to the point where Sasuke and Naruto's stories start to combine. That eight is more like four. And I want this story to always be ahead by at least one chapter. Before I post one, I need the next done. It might take me a while, but it will prevent some plot hole problems I've been having. Actually, I should probably finish it completely, but I appreciate feedback. If I have an area I need to improve on, PLEASE let me know. I want this story to be good.


	3. The Family

**The Family**

Sasuke lived in a large house, in a modestly sized room next door to his beloved brother's and down the hall from his loving parents. He had a kindly aunt and uncle who lived in town and ran the bakery, and several cousins of varying ages who ran underfoot.

He had a teacher who bored everyone to death and yet obviously cared deeply about every one of his students.

He had a few friends who played tag with him after school.

He had girls who gave him lunches, and he had boys who gave him toys.

He had adults that bowed, servants that groveled, and slaves that cowered.

He had a prodigal older brother, who could move the very world off its axis if he so desired.

He had a father whom he strove to impress.

He had a mother who loved him unconditionally.

He had everything, everything but acceptance.

* * *

Just got back from Virginia Tech! (Hearts in eyes) Did you know they are the number one architectural college in the nation? I SO DIDN'T KNOW THAT!! Arrrg! Damn brother, not telling me this stuff!! My big bro's going there this year, for engineering. WE'RE SO PROUD!! Even if he is an asshole and I hope he never find this site, since he'd laugh his ass off… dude… I'll be so bored when I come home now… and I'll have to wake up like ten minutes earlier to catch the bus!! Grrr… Damn.

It's a beautiful place by the way, an enormous campus. I think I might apply... i really want to be an architect... but ill be creepy to go to the same university as my brother...


	4. The Friends

**The Friends**

Naruto lived on his own until the age of seven, when his teacher found out he was an orphan.

He lived on the streets until he was six, when the mayor found out he was homeless.

He lived without money until five, when he began to pickpocket.

He lived without love or simple common courtesy until four, when he ran into an old man as he was fleeing a merchant and his dogs.

There were no scruples until he was three, and overheard wicked Father Mizuki's sermon, and absorbed the thought of God.

There was no humanity until he was two and managed to crawl out of the primitive sewer he had been tossed into almost at birth, surviving on animal instinct and rotten food, assisted only by a few sympathetic rats.

There was no light until he was one, and found the manhole he would spend the next year trying to reach.

There were friends every step of the way, ranging from bestial; to imaginary; to the true flesh, blood, bone, and gristle of humans, rare as it may be.

He thought life was wonderful.

* * *

Yep, another one. Im so glad to be back i figured i'd give y'all another 2 chapters before i start crunching on my summer work.

AP classes... are brutal.


	5. The Brother, the Fame

**The Brother, The Fame**

Uchiha was a famous name in the New World, even across the seas it had become well known. "The Uchiha are dominating the tobacco crop," they'd say. "Damn Uchiha are going to end up monopolizing the cotton industry." Neither were true of course, there were bigger and better companies, but few as well known.

They had somehow become a household name in Maryland, and their patriarch enjoyed this immensely. He, like many other heads of house before him, enforced a simple law: Uchiha males… had no genuine emotions past the age of twelve.

Uchihas were supposed to be distant. They had no true friends, no real companions. Siblings were people merely related by blood, parents to be respected, but not to be trusted.

Every one was an enemy and no one an ally.

Uchiha Sasuke loved his brother Itachi, looked up to him beyond all others. In this time before Superman, Itachi was his hero, his savior… his brother.

When others wore fake smiles and served distaste coldly under their thin veneer of warmth and love, Itachi was cool, and warm beneath his layers.

So Sasuke loved his brother, if only for the sheer refreshment of real affection and false distain.

And Uchiha Fugaku watched with narrowed eyes as his oldest son turned thirteen.

* * *

I'm changing the title to Fratricide. In my profile, I DID put 'title may be subject to change' after all! Also, dont expect to hear much more of me until school starts. I'm feverishly working on all my summer work. DAMN YOU, AP US HISTORY!!

Also, yes, the chapter do get longer. The first ten or so are just pre-written and drabble-esque. This wasnt orinally going to be a story, it was going to be a series of drabbles. After Naruto and Sasuke meet up it'll turn into an actual story.


	6. The Mother, the Name

**The Mother, The Name**

He had no family. As far as he knew, he had been named Uzumaki Naruto by the old man Hokage, mayor of the town of Konoha in Southern Maryland.

Or maybe Father Iruka, intent on teaching all the village's children their letters and simple defense, had made one up for lack of a form of identification. "The Boy" is too long, "Brat" too common, "Demon" too vague for everyday use.

But he didn't care about his name, or lack thereof, for he knew everyone else's were more important. He wished to be able to say the names; their syllables rolling off his tongue like the rare sweets the old man and Iruka bought him. Why would he say his own, ugly, underused epithet? And yes, it was an epithet; a word, phrase, or expression used invectively as a term of abuse or contempt, to express hostility. There were few that called his name at all, and even less that uttered it in good cheer. What use was it to call his name, when nobody seemed to want to hear it?

Then she came, and called him brat, called him rude, called him names. Said he was a fool, insulted the man that was like a grandfather to him. She said men die because of their stupid pride, and nothing can change it; he took it as a challenge.

Now she calls him Naruto, _Naruto_, such an ugly name. Yet anything from her throat is music, and he takes pride in being part of her daily concert. Now an angel had uttered his name, and he can take pride in his bastard status. He is a child without a father, but now he has a mother.

* * *

Guess who.


	7. The Tragedy

**The Tragedy**

Sasuke was eight when his father called him into his study. His mother sent up one of her maids beforehand, to ensure he was presentable; for in the Uchiha clan, nothing was casual.

"My lord father," the boy muttered, bowing shortly as he entered the room. Uchiha Fugaku could not claim noble lineage of any sort, but among his family it was insisted that he be called such.

"Do not mumble, Sasuke. It's ill befitting of an Uchiha."

Uchiha, Uchiha! Nothing he did was befitting of an Uchiha, nothing he did was correct! Itachi was the favored elder son, the esteemed prodigy of Uchiha Plantation. He would inherit the farm, and Sasuke-if he was lucky- might get a lesser share. If not, he would be like his own father's brother, reduced to running a bakery on the far edges of town.

"Yes, Father."

"Your brother has called to my attention that our tobacco branches in Maryland lack an Uchiha representative."

Sasuke remained silent, wondering what this had to do with him.

"Itachi must remain here, to be trained as my heir, and your mother but a simple woman. Your uncle is a disgrace, and your cousins, while little better, have no real training."

"Father?"

"You are to be shipped to our Konoha branch, to supervise. Oh, don't give me that," he growled, disgusted at seeing Sasuke's wide-eyed dismay, "It's not like you have to do anything. The overseer will handle everything. You just need to sign a few documents I've approved and give those human cattle a thing to fear. It's not like you could handle much more… What are you still doing here? Dismissed!"

Sasuke fled, only to hear his father's voice echoing out from the cavernous room behind him, "Don't forget to thank your brother for this opportunity."

Brother… his dear brother, his role model, his beloved Itachi! He had torn him from his home, ripped him from his family! No longer could he taste Mother's baking, could not sit atop the whitewashed fence and watch slaves wander between the prickling cotton, waving in the summer breeze! He could not swim in Lake Madara, giggling as reeds tickled his unprotected feet, try and race the silver-sided fish that darted to and fro!

It was Itachi's fault! Perfect, wonderful Itachi, who never received a demeaning lecture, never was on the wrong side of a patronizing glance.

Itachi, who was never given a pointless task… to keep from 'poisoning' the rest of the family with his worthless air.

"I hate you, brother…"

Fugaku smirked coldly as he came from behind his eldest son, watching his younger brother sob into the grass, seemingly indifferent to the heartrending situation. "Perhaps now you will be able to become a true Uchiha."

Itachi remained silent, only reaching a handing forward to rest his palm against the crude glass of the second-story window.

"Perhaps now, you will be able to forget your foolish connection with that runt."

The hand twitched, clenching against the pane in a show of emotion void from the younger Uchiha's face.

"Maybe now… you will survive being named my heir."

There was no reaction, and for a moment Fugaku was afraid he had overestimated his son's capacity for emotion. Then-

Itachi spoke for the first time, his words- as always- a monotone drawl, lacking in any sort of infliction. "I hate you, father."

Fugaku's smirk widened, the display of emotion strange on his normally impassive face. It stretched into a gruesome white slash across the light tan coating his face; it twisted into a grotesque visage found only on the faces of mad men.

"Good."

* * *

I've always liked Itachi. He's creepy and awesome. It's like the Joker (while the villian is walking away from a collapsing hospital, a female voice is heard, ringing loudly in the ears of the patrons: "I LOVE THE JOKER!!") only not insane (much). Orochimaru is just creepy and pedophilic. Plus, he's hott. Oro isnt.


	8. The Miracle

**The Miracle**

Naruto was seven when, as he was leaving Father Iruka's class one day, his teacher called out to him, "Naruto? Can you stay a moment?"

Naruto cringed, but turned around. What would Iruka do to him? Beat, him like the others? No, Iruka was a priest, and to kindly to do that. Perhaps, like the numerous priests that walked the corridors of Konoha's famous cathedral, he would deliver a sermon on the evils of the world, evils that Naruto apparently immersed himself in. He would rave about sins and punishment, and declare that the orphan would go to hell, to burn for eternity.

"Do your parents know about your progress?"

He would describe it vividly, inventing tortures and elaborating on the holy retribution that would be served, saved especially for demons like himself. Yes, Naruto knew he would go to purgatory, he knew that there would be no redemption for himself. He knew this very well, for he was reminded of it at least once a day.

Wait- what?

"Huh?"

Iruka sighed, rolling his eyes exasperatedly. "Do your parents know that your grades are slipping?"

"Parents? What do you mean?"

Iruka stared at him, "Your parents, Naruto. The people you live with? That gave birth to you?"

"Oh! I don't have parents."

"Don't be rebellious Naruto, even if you don't acknowledge them, they're still your parents."

"But, Iruka, I really don't have any parents."

The priest blinked, surprised, "Oh, well, I just- who's your guardian then?"

"I don't think I have one."

"Whom do you live with then? They're probably your guardian."

"I live alone!" Naruto exclaimed, glad to finally have a question he could answer confidently.

"Alone?" Iruka repeated, aghast, "But- but- who takes care of you?"

"I do, of course. Gramps drops in now and again to check up on me, but I'm usually on my own."

"So you have a grandfather?" Iruka confirmed, relieved.

"Uh-uh." Naruto shook his head and beamed brightly. "The old man Hokage checks up on me. He gave me a room in the inn and pays for it."

Naruto panicked as he registered Iruka's disapproving expression, and hastened to explain, "I tried to get him to let me pay for it, I really did! But he insisted, and kept refusing to take the stuff I got to pay him back!"

"Got how?" Iruka asked weakly.

The street rat's eyes shifted nervously, "Found it…"

"Naruto… you stole it, didn't you?"

"So?" He gave up his feeble act, and instead turned belligerent. "S'not like they needed anything else… damn rich people…"

"Don't swear," Iruka reprimanded mildly, mind still reeling from what his hyperactive student had revealed. His mind settled on one thing, and stayed there, stubborn to the end.

"Come on," He grumbled, grabbing onto the boy's jacket, "You're coming with me."

"W-where are we going?" Naruto inquired, struggling to release himself. A thousand scenarios ran through his head, each dealing in a different punishment he had scene dealt or heard about done to thieves. The Hokage's graphic stories, told in a futile effort to stop his thieving were drudged up from the back of his mind.

"To the Hokage. You're far too young to be living on your own."

"N-no! You can't take away my home! Don't send me to the orphanage again! They hate me! They hate me!"

"It's run by our Church, Naruto. They have taken vows of kindness."

"To humans maybe! But I'm a demon! They all say it! Ask any of them! They'll try and kill me! Don't take me back!"

Iruka paused, and looked down at his thrashing student. In his youth, he had been a warrior, and a good thing too. He had not yet lost the entirety of his musculature, and he needed every bit of raw strength he had to keep his grip on this child that seemed more beast than man.

"Demon?" What did he mean by that? "Naruto, listen to me!" The boy kept fighting in a desperate attempt to free himself from his fate. "Naruto! I wont take you to the orphanage!"

The animal ceased, and the boy emerged. Still, a feral hint lay in his eyes, a hint Iruka didn't think he'd forget about it any time soon. "Why?" He was suspicious, and with good reason! How many times, wondered the priest, had he been treated with kindness? How many times had a man nodded to him on the streets? How many times had a woman offered him a smile? Or would it be more appropriate to ask how few?

"Because," here the Father knelt, locking eyes with the boy's and keeping his hands firmly on the thin shoulders beneath the ragged coat. "I was an orphan too. And if you would like to… you could live with me." He smiled then, a strange expression Naruto wasn't familiar with being directed at him self. The only person who had ever smiled, truly smiled, at him… had been old man Hokage.

Somehow, his suspicion evaporated under the warmth of that smile, and a strange liquid leaked down Naruto's scarred cheeks. Are these… tears? Naruto had never cried before, despite injury or insult. And here he was, crying in the arms of the second person to show him kindness. "THANK YOU!!"

Iruka was tackled to the ground, letting out a slight 'oomph!' at impact, knocking the air out of his lungs. When he regained his senses, he heard the childish laughter coming from above him, felt the stringy arms wrapped around his chest. He saw a mop of blond hair buried into his chest, and a warm, paternal feeling swept through him. Wrapping his own strong arms around the child's frail body, arms that could so easily break this boy, he pretended not to feel tears soaking through his robes, ignored the sobs that echoed off the chapel walls.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Woo! I'm going to camp for a weeks in three days, so no updates. I'm also working on my LAST SUMMER PROJECT(!!) and I'm only halfway or so done. School starts in two weeks. Damnit. Have fun for the restof summer, y'all! I cant wait for school to start, cuz im taking a class that relates to my job choice!


	9. The Departure

**The Departure**

It had been nearly a week since that fateful meeting with his father. That very next day he was set out on the road, his bags having been packed by slaves the night before.

As he drove away from the only home he had ever known, the property he had never stepped off of, he thought he saw his mother's sobbing face in a window. His father was in his study, of course, after confirming Sasuke was indeed in the carriage he'd seen no need to stay. But where was Itachi? No. He didn't care.

This was all Itachi's fault anyway. A slight sob rang throughout the lonesome cabin, blocking out a slight rustle of cloth.

Outside, a dark flash could be seen, darting into the cabby's box. The driver tensed and turned, ready to fight, but froze at the cool sensation of steel pressed to his throat. The matched bay team trotted on, crops waving farewell in the warm breeze.

"Listen well," a dark, sensuous voice called, "And do not forget." The coachman shivered, accidentally causing his throat to press against the wicked blade. "If anything happens to the boy you are transporting… _you will learn there are worse things than death._"

The driver, a relatively new employee of the Uchiha Plantation, whipped around as soon as the knife was gone, only to come face-to-face with the wooden back of his own seat.

Sasuke never would figure out why a mere coachman would be kind to him, but simply accepted it, taking it for granted that a man would wish to suck up to a 'young heir' of the Uchiha Estate.

And every time he said something to this effect, Hatake Kakashi would shiver, and smile knowingly. "Believe it or not, brat. You have people who care about you for more than just money."


	10. The Arrival

**The Arrival**

Uzumaki Naruto didn't trust anyone, or rather, nobody except the Hokage. Old man Sarutobi had initially been one of the least trusted of them all, as with everyone who treated him with anything other than enmity.

They are the crafty ones, after all. The ones that think of betrayal, who plan to gain your trust, only to stab as soon as you turn your back in a sign of trust. They are the ones that plot intricate, clandestine machinations; they wait, the ones with patience and intelligence. He prefers those that are blinded with rage, dizzy with disgust. Those people that rush at him on legs unsteady from ale, those that charge in hordes, billowing out from the heavy, iron-clapped doors of common taverns. Those he can predict. The plotters, the thinkers, those with sinister hearts, they have a new idea each time.

But they all begin the same: _gain his trust._

But, though it took nearly two years, the mayor had earned his undying loyalty and unwavering trust. Nothing but clear, personal admittance from the old man himself, and a clear, concise, irrefutable example, could shake his faith in the old man now.

And this, dear readers, was why the Hokage was so shocked to see Naruto trusting Iruka already! So when Naruto willingly accompanied his teacher, looking up with pleading blue eyes as Iruka petitioned for guardianship of the blond, Sarutobi was too much in shock to do anything but nod.

Now, Naruto was moving in. Iruka had told him where his modest home was, and had left to set it up. He had told Naruto to bring some of his more portable, smaller possessions over, and then he himself would get the rest.

Little did he know, inside the flimsy wooden crate he'd given the child to carry his belongings in, lay all of Naruto's worldly goods.

As the boy near skipped down the street, a broad smile stretched across his face, little legs pumping as he skillfully dodged thrown refuse, he ignored all his surroundings.

The directions became a mantra echoing in his head, the dissenters were mere obstacles in his path; the carriages lined up on the cobblestone road were unimportant, they were to be ignored.

For today, _he had a home_! Not a living space, like his alleyway hideout, or the generous inn room, but a _home_! And… he had gained one more member for his makeshift family.

* * *

(Horrified face) School starts tomorrow! (scream of terror echoes throughout the night)


	11. See No Evil

_**See No Evil**_

This is Konoha, Sasuke realized, as the carriage slowed to a halt in front of a shop on a common street.

"Stay here, Sasuke," came the obnoxious cabby's voice, I just need to pick up the gate keys." Sasuke stayed silent, like every other time Kakashi had spoken, only acknowledging the man with a low grunt.

"Hn."

He could see the citizens going about on their daily chores, living their meaningless lives. Is mother shopping today, he wondered? Is Itachi fetching wood? Is father on his way to a meeting? From here, these people, doing those same all-important tasks, seemed meaningless. Who were they to be happy?

There, look: a little blond boy, around his own age. He was laughing as he ran down the streets, clutching a crate to his chest. Behind him ran a group of older children, shouting as they gave chase. Friends, Sasuke thought, playing a game. I wonder what it's like to have friends. The boy ducked into an alley, letting the other urchins run past, and came out a minute later, coated in a light layer of grime. Sasuke had always wanted to get truly dirty, not be washed the moment a servant saw him.

The blond grinned foxily, and once again started down the street, skipping happily. Adults turned to him, shouting out things the merely made him grin wider. Greetings, Sasuke realized. What must it be like to have people genuinely like you? They threw items at him; things he caught in his crate, making them call louder. Gifts, Sasuke marveled, encouragement, applause! What a wonderful life this blond must have, how happy he must be, what a perfect family he must be a member of.

Sasuke hated him already.

* * *

(Hums happily) I'm on an All Time Low/The Spill Canvas rush. Forgive I'm trying to find... my calling I'm calling at night...

Ladeedadeedum. Waiting for baking soda... cookies are calling. Cant believe I dont have baking soda of all things. Anyway, I totally forgot I hadnt updated. SORRY!!

She' been running through my dreams... and its driving me crazy it seems... I'm gonna ask her to marry me...

(still humming)


	12. Hear No Evil

**_Hear No Evil_**

"Did you hear? Some one's moving into the Uchiha House."

Naruto paused, taking his head of the rubbish pile he'd been rifling through. He didn't need to go through garbage, he hadn't since the Hokage had found him, but it was habit. Besides, he liked fixing things; he was looking for some broken toys or something. Maybe if he fixed them he could give them to another kids, and they could be friends."

"Yeah, I heard it's the youngest Uchiha brat."

"Really? What is that family thinking? He couldn't be older than nine!"

"He's eight, actually. He's been put in charge of the estate."

"Wow, he must be a real genius," The two gossipmongers wandered away, but their words stayed in Naruto's head. The boy was around his age! He'd be eight in a few months. And since he was new, he probably didn't know Naruto was a demon! He wouldn't know Naruto had been a homeless street rat! He wouldn't have any reason to hate him!

Naruto's hand touched a wooden train, its paint peeling and wheels falling off. Its caboose had a large split down the side, and the smokestack was hanging on by splinters. A large grin split his face, and he held it close, dashing to his new home. He would finally have a friend!

* * *

Yeppers. Still waiting for mah baking soda.

I've seen those hush hush looks you give... when you're talking to him. I've heard your undercover tone of voice... the one you use with all the boys.

And still singing, too.

I cant take another breath... without feeling the regret... of my jealousy!

Yeah. AP classes are taking over my life and sapping ym creativity. No excuse except school is kicking my ass.

Your heart is charcoal, smoking black!

(Starts dancing) Hope you enjoy! Review earn you one of my soon-to-be-baked (virtual) cookies! CRIT EARNS YOU TWO! YAY CRITIQUE!

And yes, I know both chapters were disappointingly short. That's because they're transition chappies. Next ones are longer. ANOTHER TWO OR THREE AND ILL BE DOING FULL LENGTH! ARENT YOU HAPPY?! AND I REALLY SHOULD STOP TYPING IN CAPS, SHOULDNT I? SORRY, MY CAPSLOCK-CRAZY FRIEND IS INFLUENCING ME! THIS IS SRZ BIZNIZ.


	13. The Meeting

The Meeting

The Uchiha House, as the locals called it, was really more like a manor. This, after all, was the ancestral home of the Uchiha Clan. They moved to Virginia when Itachi was young, because the cotton trade was thriving and the tobacco crops were having an off year. They never moved back.

Sasuke was given the largest set of rooms in the Manor, the suite reserved for the Master. At only eight years old, Uchiha Sasuke was ripped away from his family, placed in a nearly abandoned, extensive Queen Anne style home, and put in charge of a large group of obedient slaves.

He was disgusted.

There was nothing for him to do. He was too young to enjoy the…carnal pursuits most wealthy men filled their hours with, not yet old enough to drink more than diluted wine. The idea of wandering off alone in the new village was somewhat daunting- not that he's afraid of being lost, he just recognized the danger a lone mugger could pose to some one of his stature. Books were hardly enjoyable, in his opinion, and the slaves could not be allowed to see their Master act frivolously by running through the hills.

So here he was, standing woodenly beside the cast iron gates of his new home, watching with narrowed eyes as dark-skinned slaves labored to bring in his baggage under the sun's unsympathetic heat.

What is this? _There_. There was that boy. A mop of unruly blond hair peered in between the bars, looking curiously at the African laborers.

Why was he here? Didn't he have some game to play? A friend to chase? A sibling to tease? A mother to beg; a father to learn from? Why would this boy-with-the-perfect-life want to abandon his fun to stare at a new neighbor?

_Because he doesn't have anything better to do_. He's so used to all he's got that he doesn't think of it anymore. The answer came at once, an epiphany that made the small boy sneer. He knew this, because he had once thought that too. This boy… he sickened the Uchiha heir.

The blond smiled, a disturbingly happy, naïve smile, "Hi! My name is Uzumaki Naruto! What's yours?"

And then, then came the explosion, the bomb, the catalyst. Then came, "Let's be friends!"

Sasuke snapped.

I love fanciful Queen Anne architecture. At first I had it down as Victorian, and then Victorian-gothic, but they both seemed too mundane. Then I hovered between Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, and Greek Revival for a while. I was gonna choose Greek Revival because it seemed more formal, but then I remembered Sasuke needed a hide out, if he's gonna be a bored little kid. Queen Anne is like, heaven sent, for kids. Especially the ones who are ninja in alternate worlds. All those turrets! And you can get on the roof so easily… I want a Queen Anne home…

Oops. Sorry. I tend to rant, and I'm aiming to become an architect, so this kind of fascinates me…


	14. The Greeting

**The Greeting**

The train was in poor shape, but Naruto had seen worse. He had garnered some odd looks from Iruka for working feverishly on the thing; a total of four hours went into repairs, and another hour or so on decoration.

The smoke stack now stood tall and solid, the wheels actually turned, no longer glued confections. A section of fresh wood ran throughout the caboose, painted the same bright blue and orange as the rest of the vehicle, grains so matched it was near impossible to tell it wasn't a solid piece. The bodies of the train cars were a dark blue, not quite navy, while the wheels and roof were a vibrant orange. Red lines were painted on the wheels as spokes, and lined the top of the smokestack. An Uchiha fan stood out on the grill of the front car, with a red spiral on the end of the caboose.

Yes, Naruto was pleased with the results.

Now he stood by the imposing gates of the dark Uchiha House, thought haunted by the rest of the children. Naruto knew better, though. There were no such things as ghosts. If there were, wouldn't everyone come back after they died? Wouldn't he know who his parents were? No, there may be spirits, but there were no such things as ghosts.

He saw a boy -dressed in fine clothes out of place on such a young body- around his age watching as dark-skinned men hauled trunks into the Manor. Naruto's face lit up in a grin as the boy turned toward him, seeing no recognition in the dark irises.

"Hi! My name is Uzumaki Naruto! What's yours?"

There was no answer, and Naruto began to get nervous. Did the boy already sense that he was a demon? Why wouldn't he answer?

"Let's be friends!"

The assertion came out unintended, uncensored; surging out of his unguarded mouth like a torrential flood of words. There was no taking it back, there was just hope. Naruto froze, before bringing his hands out before him, holding out the newly repaired toy like an offering between them. A sanguine smile remained on his lips.

"No."

And then, he shattered.

* * *

Yeah, it's been two years. I had five chapters finished so I might as well put those up as I try to get back into writing, though =) and on the bright side, I got accepted to my top choice college with a 10K scholarship! YAY! So this is my celebration/Christmas present.


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